HOST: It's that time of year again — crunching leaves, hissing espresso, crisp textbooks, brisk air. In college towns around the country, the new school year in beginning. Princeton, New Jersey celebrates its own way — there's a freshman parade, social club sign ups, arts auditions, new course schedules. Students return to fanfare and, eventually, to routine. But some students don't take the typical path to graduation. Princeton Public Radio's Jeanette Beebe reports.  

JEANETTE BEEBE: 12%. That's how many students graduate Princeton in five years, instead of four. 4%. That's how many graduate in six years. For many, Princeton is a place to go, and leave, and come back.

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This was a class assignment for JRN 450: "Audio Journalism: Radio Reporting and Storytelling" (Fall 2013) at Princeton University with Steve Drummond, NPR.

"At Princeton, Students Take Time Off and Mind the Gap Years" | October 2013

Link to web story: bit.ly/WHYYHeroCare

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HOST: Veterans and military service members in South Jersey have another option for getting healthcare when the VA system is too slow. For WHYY, Jeanette Beebe reports.
  
JEANETTE BEEBE: It’s called HeroCare Connect. Even after the V-A offered options to see private doctors, some vets still struggle to get timely appointments. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says it’s time for veterans to feel in control of their own healthcare, to be in charge.

HeroCare Connect Aims to Hasten the Healing for New Jersey Vets | 04.24.2017 | WHYY News

Link to web story: bit.ly/WHYYTruxton

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HOST: The FDA has announced a nationwide recall for Phenobarbital, a drug prescribed to young children and pets to treat epilepsy. The company, Truxton Incorporated, is based in Bellmawr, South Jersey. For WHYY, Jeanette Beebe reports.
  
JEANETTE BEEBE: The nationwide recall is for 15 milligram bottles of Phenobarbital. One batch was filled with pills that were twice as strong. Paul Devine owns Truxton, Inc. The family-owned company is a distributor, not a manufacturer. He says he doesn't know yet how many bottles had the stronger pills.

'Labeling Error' Leads S. Jersey Distributor: FDA Recall of Phenobarbital | 04.27.2017 | WHYY News

Link to web story: bit.ly/WHYYNJHA
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HOST: President Trump recently tapped New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to lead a new federal commission on combatting addiction, with a focus on the opioid crisis. Today, he spoke about these issues at the New Jersey Hospital Association's annual summit. For WHYY, Jeanette Beebe reports.

JEANETTE BEEBE: Governor Christie cited last year's overdose numbers.  More than 50,000 overall and more than 30-thousand from opioids.  He says that rivals the HIV/AIDS epidemic at its height as well as car crashes and gun deaths combined. Christie says despite a lot of candid talk, those fighting addition still feel stigma.

Christie: Doctors Key to Cutting Opioid Epidemic — Yet Some Share Blame | 05.02.2017 | WHYY News

Link to web story: bit.ly/WHYYTWWLead
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HOST: This week, thousands of people across Mercer County, New Jersey found a lead level advisory in their mailbox. Trenton Water Works was required by law to warn its customers of a recent water test. Jeanette Beebe reports. 

JEANETTE BEEBE: The Trenton Water Works test found dangerously high lead levels in more than 10 percent of the homes it sampled. Hamilton Township Health Officer Jeff Plunkett says the utility didn't tell anyone in his office about the advisory. Not even the Mayor.

Trenton Water Works Alerts Homeowners of High Lead Levels | 08.20.2017 | WHYY News

Link to web story: bit.ly/WHYYCareCam
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HOST: A hidden camera program designed to catch elder abuse in New Jersey is reaching new territory. The state Attorney General's "Safe Care Cam" program was launched last fall, and originally loaned cameras to families who've hired live-in caretakers. Now, the state says the cameras can be used in nursing homes. For WHYY, Jeanette Beebe reports.

JEANETTE BEEBE: When Rich Allegretti's mother-in-law was diagnosed with dementia in her '60s, he knew he needed to get help.

New Jersey Offers 'Care Cam' to Nursing Home Patients, Families | 08.23.2017 | WHYY News

Link to web story: http://bit.ly/WHYYNJBON
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HOST: On Thursday, the New Jersey Senate's oversight committee will hold a hearing on the state's Board of Nursing. Some lawmakers and advocates say it’s improperly funded and under-staffed to the point of "crisis." For WHYY, Jeanette Beebe reports.

JEANETTE BEEBE: Keith Hovey says the New Jersey Board of Nursing is broken. He's an attorney who represents nurses who face disciplinary charges, from fraud to negligence. The problem, he says, is the Board is backed up with so many cases that it can take months or even years to get a hearing.

Delays at N.J. Board of Nursing Endanger Public, Leave Workers Uncertain | 10.05.2017 | WHYY News

Link to web story: bit.ly/WHYYNJNAS
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HOST: The New Jersey Department of Health it targeting five million dollars for substance abuse programs that serve pregnant women addicted to opioids. For WHYY, Jeanette Beebe reports.

JEANETTE BEEBE: Robins Nest, a community health agency in Glassboro, Gloucester County was awarded over $635,000 for its new sober living program, “A Place to Call Home.” Melissa Fox, their COO, envisions it helping a woman who is …

NJ Provides $5M to Help Pregnant Women Recover from Opioid Addiction | 11.23.2017 | WHYY News

Link to web story: http://bit.ly/WHYYNJBirthC
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HOST: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has signed a bill that requires insurers to pay for a six-month supply of birth control. For WHYY, Jeanette Beebe reports.

JEANETTE BEEBE: Longer prescriptions means fewer trips to the doctor and the pharmacy. That means patients are less likely to run out before the next refill. says Dr. Donald Cannon of OGBYN Care of Southern New Jersey, in Camden County.

New Jersey Requires Six-Month Refills of Birth Control | 12.25.2017 | WHYY News

Link to web story: bit.ly/WHYYMcFaul
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HOST: Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul spoke at Princeton University yesterday. For WHYY, Jeanette Beebe reports he tried to put President Trump's Russian tweets into context.

JEANETTE BEEBE: Before he began his talk, Former Ambassador McFaul addressed President Trump's tweets threatening Russia with a missile strike into Syria.  The president said Russia shouldn't be -quote- "partners with a Gas Killing Animal," referring to the apparent poison gas attack in Douma on Saturday. Trump also tweeted that relations between the U.S. and Russia are worse now than they were during the Cold War. McFaul was blunt.

In Princeton Talk, Former Ambassador to Russia Urges ‘Strategic Patience’ | 04.12.2018 | WHYY News

Link to web story: bit.ly/WHYYIranUN
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HOST: The U.N.’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has concluded that Iran had “no legal basis" for arresting and detaining Princeton graduate student Xiyue Wang. Jeanette Beebe reports that this is giving advocates new hope for Wang's release.

JEANETTE BEEBE: Wang's ordeal began two years ago, when he was accused of espionage during a research trip in Iran. He has spent over 850 days behind bars, and endured over two weeks in solitary confinement. The UN Working Group found that his health is so poor that he should be released immediately, and "urgently transferred to a hospital.” Leigh Toomey is the Group's Vice-Chair on Follow-Up. She says she anticipates Iran will provide a response to the report within six months.

Jeanette Beebe

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